Development and characterization of biphasic gels for potential application as semi-solid fat replacers in animal- and plant-based food products

Abstract

There is a growing market for healthy food products worldwide due to increasing consumer awareness on the impact of diet on health (Anderson, 2020;Sloan, 2020). In particular, the coronavirus pandemic has heightened consumers' demand for healthboosting products as a means to improve their immune system (Lempert, 2020). Many government agencies attribute poor health to poor diet, such as those high in fat, sugar, and salt, and, hence, provide dietary guidelines to encourage healthier eating habits (Gonzalez Fischer & Garnett, 2016). Most of these dietary guidelines agree that limiting intake of saturated fats and sugars can lead to long term good health and prevent diet-related illnesses (Gonzalez Fischer & Garnett, 2016). For example, the 2020-2025 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, 2020) encourage Americans to limit calories from saturated fat to under 10% of their total calories. Furthermore, the guidelines advocate consumption of unsaturated fats over saturated fats to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.